š” Your Voice Could Be Earning You MoneyāHereās How (Issue 159)
The hidden income stream you already have
Solopreneur business owners often have multiple revenue streams. It's a smart strategy.
We sometimes do this out of necessity if business slows down (e.g., youāre a realtor and the real estate market is struggling). But actually, we should always have multiple revenue streams to create a financial cushion and income security.
Hereās an idea to consider: if you have a pleasant voice, it may be a hidden goldmine that could generate some additional income!
One of my friends is a very talented voice artist. Sheās recorded commercials for world-class brands such as Mastercard, GMC, Coca-Cola, Microsoft, Airstream, Nintendo, and dozens more.
I was exposed to the world of voice talent after working with her on a project. My view of the potential markets for voice artists had been pretty narrow (e.g., music, animated movies, cartoons, video games). However, I soon discovered how many industries rely on voice-over actors.
We first met several years ago. At the time, I didnāt notice one of the best benefits of her freelance work:
She can work from anywhere in the world.
Sheās her own boss, works the hours she wants, and can choose to record her voice sessions at home, in a studio, or on the road. She has a lot of freedom in her lifestyle, and itās pretty cool that she can generate income simply with her fantastic voice.
Now, Iām guessing that almost all of you already have a primary profession, and thatās how you make a living. But, as Iāve said before, itās smart to have multiple income streams and a backup plan.
Iāve always been on the other side of the table, looking for voice talent (e.g., for a song, my startup, an audiobook). But as I explored and used these voice marketplaces, I couldnāt help but notice that people sometimes make a living doing this. Or at least, they are generating additional income from it as a side hustle.
I want to share a couple of the largest voice marketplaces with you. The fascinating thing about these opportunities is that you donāt need a magical, melodious, singing voice to be in demand. Thereās a need for all kinds of voices from people of all ages around the world.
Voiceover work
I met my friend, Michelle Sundholm, on Voices.com. By the way, if you are looking for extraordinary voice talent from one of the nicest people in the world, check her out.
They provide voice talent for advertising, animation (e.g., cartoons, movies), broadcasting (e.g., podcasts, radio, television), consumer brands, education, financial services, gaming, healthcare, nonprofits, publishing (e.g., audiobooks), technology solutions (e.g., apps, text-to-speech, explainer videos), and other video production.
Professional voice artists can make a pretty good living. For example, Nancy Cartwright, who voices Bart Simpson onĀ The Simpsons, has a net worth of about $85M. But the average voice actor makes around $76K. Still not bad!
Even if you only want to record a voice gig here and there, you can still make hundreds or thousands of dollars doing so. Voices.com shares that you could make around $100 for a local radio commercial or up to $10K for a national commercial. You could make between $100 and $1K if someone wants your voice for a short animation or in a video game.
Maybe itās just me, but it is pretty cool to imagine your voice being heard around the world in a video game, animated show, or even a commercial. Iāve had a small taste of that with my podcast.
Itās even more amazing to get paid just for recording your voice in the comfort of your home. Yes, you do need a reasonable microphone (more on that below), the ability to take direction and read a script, and some basic audio editing software. But the investment (i.e., your time, energy, and money) is much lower than for many other side hustle options.
If youāre interested in checking it out, you can learn more here.
Backstage is another service where you can get hired for voiceover jobs. Every week, they send me casting calls for movie extras, ad voiceovers, video game character voices, animated character voices, etc.
Audiobook narration
I discovered the ACX marketplace while I was researching what it would take to publish my book. I was already interested in the print and Kindle formats. But my good friend and podcast co-host, Trip, reminded me of how valuable it would be to create an audiobook version, as well.
ACX is a service that connects authors, literary agents, publishers, and rights owners with narrators, engineers, recording studios, and other producers to create finished audiobooks. Much like the Voices.com platform, you can hire a narrator to read your book.
As I explored the service and learned more, I found that it also includes open submissions for book titles. You can essentially audition to be hired as the narrator by the author, publisher, agent, or rights holder.
The side-hustle income from ACX differs slightly from that on Voices.com and presents a unique opportunity to earn passive income for years! You can choose a per-finished-hour rate for a project, paid upon successful completion of the audiobook. Most experienced narrators charge between $200-$400 per finished hour, but you will probably start at a lower price as a novice (e.g., $80-100).
The interesting passive income option is to share royalties from the finished audiobook sales with the author or rights holder. Rather than getting paid a flat fee for the completed project, you receive 50% of the sales on Audible, Amazon, and iTunes. If a book is āevergreenā and popular, you could receive royalties for years.
Learn more about how you can earn both active and passive income as a narrator on ACX.
Necessary equipment and setup
I wrote a detailed article about podcasting equipment for my career newsletter today. I use the same equipment for my voiceover and narration projects.
I wonāt repeat the info in that article, so read more about it here.
Give it a shot!
If you have an intriguing voice, you might be surprised by how valuable it is to others. Youāll never know unless you try. š
Would you like to brainstorm more revenue stream ideas with me? You can schedule a complimentary call.
Larry Cornett is a business coach who works with ambitious professionals to help them reclaim their power, become more invincible, and create better opportunities for their work and lives. Do more of what you love and less of what you hate! Check out his new Invincible Solopreneurs Daily Journal!
I know some people would like to help support my newsletter and podcast, but donāt want to commit to a monthly fee. I get it! So, I set up a āļø Buy Me a Coffee to let folks contribute without an ongoing financial commitment. Iām a solopreneur, and coaching and writing are how I provide for my family. Thanks for your support!
